Dreamy wedding venue near Tours – Chateau D’Artigny
Wedding photographer in Tours
France, especially the Loire Valley, without a doubt has the most fairy-tale like wedding venues in the world. To have a French destination wedding is like a dream come true. This dream starts with an unforgettable moment when you wake up on your wedding day in one of those luxury rooms of the castle, hearing only the birds chanting and your heart beating. Let’s say this castle you’ve imagined is Chateau d’Artigny.
Before we continue, I’d like to remind you, that if you’re looking for a wedding photographer in France, please enquire here.
Chateau d’Artigny is sitting along the Indre river in Montbazon in the heart of the Loire Valley, only 15 km from Tours. The short distance from Tours makes it easily reachable for you and your wedding guests. Heading towards the chateau straight from the Charles de Gaulle airport or from Paris Montparnasse station.
Dare to dream and never stop
The chateau was built during the period of 20 years starting from 1912 when the rich and famous perfume manufacturer Francois Coty bought it. He rebuilt it in a grandiose fashion. Nearly 150 people were involved in building this perfectly symmetrical building which is an exact replica of Chateau de Champlatreux in Val-d’Oise. Francois Coty must have had a dream of his own. The sad part of this story is that he lived only for 6 months in his dream chateau until his death.
This wedding venue with its twenty-five hectares of park and French gardens, marble statues, woodwork, and trompe l’oeil frescos, is a perfect match for your french wedding or elopement dream. Every detail is filled with elegance and romance. With a reputation for quality, the current owner of the chateau is french castle hotel chain Grandes Etampes Francais. As a wedding photographer in Tours, I must say that it has always been a pleasure to work in Grandes Etapes Francais hotels. I say it’s a 100% modern French chateau wedding venue.
Brides and grooms of Chateau d’Artigny most likely will enjoy the fact that property can be rented entirely for their wedding. They also have their own pastry chef and florist in house, so if you’re interested in ordering your wedding florals or cake, it can all be done in house.
5 Questions and answers about Chateau d’Artigny
1. Where is Chateau d’Artigny and how to get to Chateau d’Artigny?
Chateau d Artigny is located about 15k from Tours. It is a city in western France, 238km from Paris.
I always take the TGV from Paris, either CDG if I fly in, or from Montparnasse, if I’m already Paris. Train from Montparnasse takes about 1 hr to St Pierre des Corps station. From there I suggest taking a taxi. If you’re taking the taxi from Chateau to the train station, please add at least 15 minutes to your original travel, there’s not a lot of traffic around, but the narrow roads can get clogged up in the afternoon and you might end up late to your train.
Or, take a car. It will take around 3 hrs from Paris to get to the chateau.
2. What is the best time of the year to get married at Chateau d’Artigny?
The peak season in the region from June till October. But you can choose to have your wedding there any time as Chateau d’Artigny is open all year round. You have to check with the Chateau if there are any off-season discounts available.
3. What else is there to do?
First off I’d go to the spa and wellness center at Chateau d’Artigny. There’s nothing like a proper spa treatment after a crazy wedding. Tours is the local cultural center, so it’s definitely worth visiting. If you like wine, it’s still located in Loire Valley, so being there is a good chance of tasting local wines. If you’re there in summer, enjoy the outdoor swimming pool!
4. How many guests can Chateau d’Artigny host?
There are several options you can choose from, if you use Grand Salon Regence, then you can host up to 140 seated guests or 200 standing guests, for Coty, it’s 60 seated, 150 standing guests. You can also use Salon Royal with a capacity of 50 seated guests and 80 standing or Rotunda for up to 120 standing guests.
5. What do you as a wedding photographer in Chateau d’Artigny like about it?
As a wedding photographer in Chateau d’Artigny I firstly like the building – the symmetry of it when looking at it from the alley to all the indoor spaces. The bar is very cool, with tall ceilings and lots of space and a proper interior. The grounds of the chateau are great as well – you have the park with few massive trees and the forest, I kind of like the neglected look of the forest, although it’s not always accessible for the bride in a wedding dress, but, if you have a shorter dress, it’s fine. Love how it looks in January. Overall I really enjoy photographing weddings at Chateau d’Artigny, it has lots of space and a great atmosphere.
As of this point I’ve shot 4 weddings at Chateau d’Artigny and I’ll be sharing them gradualy. Please see the first wedding I shot there: